Educational



UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

XVALSTIEN E. MUNSON, OF NEWV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

EDUCATlONAL APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,872, dated July 14,1896.

Application filed April 10, 1896. crial No. 587,025. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IVALSTIEN E. MUNSON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city and county of New Haven, in the State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in EducationalBoards and Blocks, as set forth and described in the followingspecification, taken in connection with the drawin gs which form a partthereof, and in which Figure 1 is a top view of the device. Fig. iis atransverse section of the board on the lines 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing ablock in one of the grooves. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of theblocks.

This invention relates to educational appliances; and it consists moreparticularly in a board having horizontal grooves for cubes, the edgesof which are beveled, having on their faces letters, numerals, words, orother devices. The cubes are easily removable from the board, and allthe six sides may be utilized for the letters, numerals, 650., so thatthe whole construction makes a neat, compact device capable of beingused in a great variety of ways.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference representlike parts in all figures, A represents a rectangular board, of wood orother suitable material, with ends a and sides ct, forming an interiorspace Extending across this interior space are ribs or partitions B,forming grooves or channels 12 between each other and the ends a of theboard.

The ribs B do not extend entirely across the space c but terminate ashort distance from either side, thus leaving a vertical groove I) oneach side of the board. The ribs or partitions B are flanged above andbelow, as shown. in Fig. 2, and the ends aof the board are likewiseflanged on their inner surfaces.

The blocks are formed in the shape of cubes (3, Figs. 2 and 3, the edgesof which are chamfered, as shown at d. On the six faces of the cubes areprinted or otherwise arranged letters, (small or capitals, script orprinted,) numerals, words, pictures, as may be desired in applying thedevice to any particular line of instruction. The cubes or blocks 0 areadapted to fit in the grooves or channels Z),

and are held therein (except from longitudi nal movement) by the upperflanges on the ribs and ends.

The cubes bear on the lower flanges of the ribs and ends with theirbeveled surfaces, and, as the side portions of the ribs B and ends aofthe board are provided with longitudinal slots 12 and the portions ofthe board forming the bottom of the horizontal grooves are likewiseslotted, the flat surfaces of the cubes are relieved from rubbingagainst the sides and bottoms of the grooves Z). (See Fig. 2.)

The sides a." of the board and ends of the ribs are not flanged, so thatwhen the cube is in one of the vertical grooves Z)" it may be removedentirely from the board, so that in the moved to place any desired faceuppermost,

as all the faces are utilized. In packing the board and blocks away, thevertical grooves are adapted to receive extra cubes.

On the faces of the cubes may be capital letters, as shown, letters inscript, words, or pictures, as may be desired. In operation the cubesare placed inthe vertical groove Z), with the desired letter uppermost,oppositeahorizontal groove 1), and are then pushed into said groove.Other blocks may be placed in the groove in the same manner to formwords, as shown.

The board and blocks may also be used, to teach simple arithmetic,as anumerical frame, as ten or twelve cubes may be placed in a singlegroove. As the blocks or cubes are held in the horizontal grooves fromfalling out, the board may be held vertically against a wall orblackboard, as well as laid flat upon a table, the.

The words horizontal and vertical are herein used in reference to theposition of the board as shown in the drawings.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. The combination with cubes having any number of the surfaces of eachcube ornamented; of an educational board having its sides or endsforming a rectangular space; and ribs extending across said spaceforming With each other and the ends of said board horizontal grooves,and with the sides of said board vertical grooves, capable of receivingsaid cubes, the parts forming the horizontal grooves being flanged tolimit said cubes when in said grooves to movement longitudinal thereto,and the parts forming said vertical grooves being unfianged to allowsaid cubes to be moved tran sverscly therefrom, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with an educational board having its sides and endsforming a rectangular space; of ribs extending across said space forminghorizontal grooves with WALSTIEN E. MUNSON.

lVitnesses:

GEORGE W. ROBINSON, F. PHILIP FARNsWoR'rH.

